St. Modwen has been working closely with the landowners, Thomas Homes, Wantage Community Church (part of Oxfordshire Community Churches) and Woodfield Brady Architects on the much-anticipated Community Hub. Thomas Homes specialises in building in locations where design and quality are the major consideration, and they were happy to work on this project on a non-profit basis.
It is due to open in late-2024, and the framework is currently being established to ensure it is fully operative in time for its opening.
Situated in the heart of the Kingsgrove development next to the public square, The Hub will include an enterprise space, a large hall and many other spaces available for the community to hire. In addition to the café that spills out into the public square, there will be south-facing, enclosed terraces and gardens. The Hub will provide relaxing places where you can meet friends for a catch-up, quiet spaces to focus when working remotely, and a lively environment where you can take the family for Saturday afternoon refreshments.
The Hub will be operated by Kingsgrove Community Hub, a registered non-faith charity set up by Wantage Community Church who has a 125-year lease to run The Hub. The binding ethos that brings the team together at the Kingsgrove Community Hub is a passion for the local community, and a desire to ensure everyone is served fairly and justly.
Eileen White is the Chair of Trustees, a former head teacher who has lived in Wantage for twenty years. The other trustees are Ken Armour, a technology lawyer, Dan Harbour who is CEO of a healthcare support charity and Neil Townsend, senior lead for Wantage Community Church. These individuals were selected to provide a balanced structure, with everyone boasting their own unique qualities and skills, with a shared love for Wantage and a desire to uphold the values of The Hub.
The Hub is another example of development from St. Modwen that is led by the community, for the community, and is a significant element of the infrastructure being provided to support a growing neighbourhood.
For more information on plans please click here or visit: www.thehub.org.uk.
The whole team are pleased to announce that the plans were approved by the Council on 21st June 2023. It was great to hear the planning committee say they saw it as a positive piece of work and a much-needed community asset. For more information or for any questions, visit: www.thehub.org.uk